Thermionic-tube socket



THERMIONIC TUBE SOCKET Filed Aug. 50, 1927 JMXWM ATTORNEYS.

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Patented Oct. 29, 1929 LEON W. GILLIS, 0F ALDERWOOD IMANOR, WASHDTGTON THERMIONIC-TUBE SOCKET Application tiled August 80, 1927. Serial No. 816,368.

This invention relates to sockets or receptacles such as employed in radio circuits for the reception of thermionic tubes and especially to a multi le circuit socket to permit the tube to be plilgged into dill'crent radio circuits.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of therniionic tube sockets or receptacles; to provide a receptacle of this character which is adapted to lbe connected with a plurality of radio eircuits and which is adapted to receive a thermionic tube in a plurality ot' positions so that any one of the radio circuits will be operative, depending upon the position ofthe tube; and further to `provide means whereby the filament circuit of the tube will be common to all the circuits and wherebv the current flow through the filament will be reversed when the position of the tube is changed.

'lhe socket or receptacle is shown b way of illustration in the accompanying rawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the thermionic tube receptacle, said view showing the plug ond of the thermionic tube and also art of the upper portion of the tube in which the filament, grid and plate are positioned.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle, said view dlagrammaticall illustrating the connections between the fi amcnt, the grid and the lato.

Fig. 3 is a i iagrannnatic view showing the receptacle connected with the two independent radio circuits, one circuit being of the regenerative type and the other circuit being a straight non-regenerative.

Radio receivingr sets are as a rule made as.

simple as possible and usually include. only one radio circuit, for instance, the' circuit may be a regenerative or a non-regenerative type of circuit. or it may be a neutrodyno circuit, a superhetrodvne etc. Special sets are, however, inade which include several independent radio circuits, the thermionic tubes employed being so arranged that they may be connected in any one of the circuits, this being usually accomplished by the use of exterior jacks, switches and the like which in` volves a rather complicated wiring system.

'lhe present invention relates to a ther-` mionic tube socket or receptacle which is provided .with multiple contacts so that the socket may be permanently connected with one or more independent radio circuits, the socket being so constructed that it will receive the plug end of an ordinary or standard type of thermionic tube and being further arranged or constructed to receive the tube in one or more positions so that the tube itself will serve the function of a switch to close or render operative any one of the circuits. The receptacle is perhaps best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 9. It'consists of a base portion A which is elevated to form a central table portion B for the reception of the plug end C of the therlnionic tube. The table portion is in this instance provided with three pair of aligned perfor-ations or openings such as indicated at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Aligning with each opening is a contact member 7 which is adapted to receive the prongs 8 of the plug end of the tube. T he contacts terminate in terminal ends such as indicated at 1, 2, 3, 4*, 5 and 6 and these are connected with one or more independent radio circuits as will hereinafter be described.

A standard thermionic tube is usually provided with four prongs, two prongs which connect with the respective terminals of the filament indicated at 9, and a second set of prongs which connect with the grid 10 and the plate 1l respectively. The tube prongs connecting with the filament are in most cases larger in diameter than the plate and grid prongs and the central openings formed in the receptacle, and indicated at 1 and 2, are accordingly made slightly larger in diameter than the openings indicated at 3, 4, 5 and 6 as the latter openings are merel intended for the reception of the grid andY plate prongs. In the present instance, it is only possible to place the tube in two positions when it is inserted in the receptacle. In either instance, the filament prongs will always enter the openings 1 and 2, while the plate and grid prongs will either enter the openings 3 and 4 or the openings 5 and 6.

A receptacle constructed as here shown serves two main functions: First, that of connecting the tube in one radio circuit or another, and secondly, that of reversing the current flow through the filament. For instance, if the terminal 1 of the receptacle is connected with the plus side of a battery and the terminal 2L with the negative side of a battery, one leg of the filament will be positive and the other negative, when the tube is inserted in one position. If the tube is removed and turned about its axis 180, the position of the filament prongs will be reversed and the prong'which formerly entered the plus side of the circuit will enter the negative side of the circuit or vice versa, thus insuring a reversal of the current through the filament whenever the position of the tube is changed, or in other words, when changing lthe position of the tube from one radio circuit to another.

It is well known that the life of the filament in a thermionic tube may be considerably lengthned if the current flow through the filament is reversed from time to time. The reasons therefore are clearly described in my co-pending application entitled Filament current reversing device," filed July 19, 1927, Serial No. 206,875 now Patent Number 1,664,813. If the mere reversal of the current fiow through the filament is desired, the

several contacts of the receptacle will be connected with the filament, the grid and the plate as shown in Fig, 2. On the other hand, if it is desired to not only reverse the current flow through thefilament but also to plug tlie tube into one or another of two independent radio circuits, the contacts may be connected as shown in Fig. 3. In this instance, two inde endent radio circuits are shown, the one on t e left-hand side of the tube being a regenerative type of circuit and is generally indicated at D, while thexcircuit on the righthand side of the tube is an ordinary nonregenerative type of circuit and is indicated at E. If the plug end of the tube is inserted in the openings indicated at 1, 2, 3, and 4, the.

regenerative circuit will be completed while ifthe tube is removed and turned about its axis 180 and inserted iii the openings l, 2, 5 and 6, the non-regenerative circuit will be rendered operative. It should be noted that the filament will act in common with either circuit regardless of the position of the tube and it should also be noted that reversal of the current fiow through the filament will take place whenever the is changed. A

While aregenerative and a non-regenentive circuit is shown in the present instance it is obvious that other circuits may be em. ployed and that practically any combination of different circuits may be employed when two. three or more thermionic tubes are used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a thermionic tube receptacle, a receptacle having a plurality of sets of openings formed therein, and a plurality of contacts cooperating with the openings, said sets of openings including filament prong o enings common to each set of openings to a apt a receptacle to receive a thermionic tube in a v'plurality of different positions, whereby said tube may be connected with one of a plurality position of the tube sition the tube is inserted in said receptacle.

2. In a -thermionic tube receptacle, a receptacle having a plurality of sets of contact engaging means adapted to be connected with a plurality of radio circuits, and a pair of filament contacts on said receptacle, said contacts being common to all of said circuits to permit the ther'monic tube to be arranged in a plurality of positions and to reverse the current through the filament thereof.

3. In a thermionic tube receptacle, a grid and a plate contact, a pair of filament contacts adjacent the same, a second grid and filament contact on the opposite side of the filament contacts, and a thermionic tube having a plug on one end with four contacts, two contacts bein connected with the filament of the tube, the t ird contact with the 'd and the fourth contact with the plate o the tube, said retherein in alignment with the respective contacts and adapted to receive the tube in two positions and permitting rotation ofthe tube about its longitudinal axis approximately 180 when changing from one positionvto another.

4. The combination with the plug end of a thermionic tube, said plug having a pair of filament pron and a grid and plate prong, of a receptac e having a pair of opemngs formed therein for the reception of. the filament prongs, said receptacle also having pairs of openings formed thereon on opposite sides of the filament prong openings for the reception of the grid and plate prongs, and contacts cooperating with the several openings and adapted to engage the filament, the grid and the plate pron s of the tube, the contacts cooperating with t e grid and plate prongs being adapted to be connected independent radio cireuits, thereby permitting the tube to be plugged into one or another of said reversal of the current flow through the filament prongs and the filament in the tube.

5. A receptacle of the character described having three pair of openings formed therein, two central openings for the reception of the filament pron of a thermionic tube and the openin s ont e opposite sides thereof being adapte to receive the grid and plate prongs of a thermionic tube, and contact members disposed below the openings and adapted to engage the prongs of the tube.

LEON W. GILLIS. 

